Gardeners on here - tomato help

addiebee · Jun 23, 2010

Actually - how do I protect my plants from critters!! Argh!!

Went to check on the plants - in porch pots in the back - ALL of the developing tomatoes are gone. Some were too high up - on plant stands - to blame rabbits. I am thinking raccoons or deer. The critters even sheared off the tops of my Mortgage Lifters!

I don't have a lot just four plants, but geez!!!!

Any suggestions before I sit up all night with a shot gun? JK!

strange_wings · Jun 23, 2010

You have two options. Try making a homemade (non chemical) repellent or fencing the area off entirely to keep animals out. Anything you hang up to spook them off would only work very temporarily, and raccoons can get accustomed to motion lights.

I'm not sure if any sound emitting devices would work or not. You'd have to know the animals that are coming in your yard, get the right frequency for them, and hope it doesn't affect any other pet animals.

addiebee · Jun 23, 2010

Originally Posted by strange_wings

You have two options. Try making a homemade (non chemical) repellent or fencing the area off entirely to keep animals out. Anything you hang up to spook them off would only work very temporarily, and raccoons can get accustomed to motion lights.

I'm not sure if any sound emitting devices would work or not. You'd have to know the animals that are coming in your yard, get the right frequency for them, and hope it doesn't affect any other pet animals.

Homemade repellent - like canned coyote urine? I know they sell that kind of stuff. I have tried soapy water spray in the past - doesn't work.

The back area is very wooded and is along the deer trail to a protected area between subdivisions. I think growing tomatoes or anything else they would find tasty is a waste of my time.

Last year, my basil plants got attacked by these kinda golden/irridescent looking beetles - that didn't happen when I was growing them on the front porch.

strange_wings · Jun 23, 2010

No no, literally homemade. Think things that you really wouldn't want to sip! Such as hot sauce and crush fresh garlic. You could probably find worse concoction recipes online.

Dish soap is more for keeping insects off than it is for animals.

But, the coyote urine is an idea. You could use that on the edges of your property - or if you know someone with a male dog, have them come over and let him mark out your perimeter. It might keep deer away, at least.

I've never had anything eat basil here.

I am currently dealing with some sort of nasty spikey moth caterpillars, though. They're all over my jerusalem artichokes.

Soap and DE hasn't worked at all. I can't use any chemicals because the plants are in the backyard with MewMew and Boo.

Winchester · Jun 24, 2010

We put a 3-foot high fence around the garden to try to keep the bunnies and raccoons out...so far it's working, but now the tomatoes and beans have grown above the fence, so we'll have to keep a closer eye on things.

Something (and we think it's a deer) has been munching in the moon garden. DH sprayed rabbit and deer repellent around the perimeter, so hopefully that will work....so far, it has worked in the front flower bed.

Can you spray Liquid Fence around your pots on the porch?

addiebee · Jun 24, 2010

Thanks for the suggestions. I am going to go to the garden store today and ask them how best to protect these plants. They are on a small patio in the back yard. I can always move them closer to the house, too. I didn't want them getting too much radiant heat from the bricks....

otto · Jun 24, 2010

Tomatoes like heat.

How heart breaking for you!

We had the tomato blight last year so I did not grow tomatoes this year, too afraid to lose them again, after all the hard work. I miss growing them, and they are usually what I live on in August. If the blight doesn't hit this year, I will resume growing them again next year.

It does sound like deer are getting them. Don't use things like coyote or fox urine crystals around food plants.

The red pepper spray is a good idea.

addiebee · Jun 24, 2010

Cool re: hot pepper spray. I already have an all-purpose spray bottle and investing in some Frank's won't upset my BF too much.

crazyforinfo · Jun 24, 2010

Originally Posted by AddieBee

Cool re: hot pepper spray. I already have an all-purpose spray bottle and investing in some Frank's won't upset my BF too much.

That's too funny. I am hurt that the bunnies aren't eating our tomatoes. I hope they taste ok to humans!

DH bought hot pepper spray for plants and it seems to do the trick. Good Luck.

nekochan · Jun 25, 2010

If it is deer you can buy repellents. That is frustrating! I've had squirrels pick tomatoes from my garden, and they always take a bite and them leave them lying around. Apparently they don't actually LIKE them but they don't realize it until after they've picked the fruit and carried it to a convenient eating spot. Sometimes I'll go outside and find a tomato with one bite taken out lying on top of my porch railing!

calico2222 · Jun 25, 2010

I've heard that planting marigolds around your garden will keep the smaller critters out. Apparently they don't like the smell. I don't know if it is an old wives tale or not, but a neighbor on our road has a ton of marigolds around his and it is thriving! It won't keep out deer though...heck, they might eat them too!

So far the only thing we have a problem with is groundhogs, and they seem to prefer the brocolli (no, I didn't do the marigold thing this year). But then again, the plants in the garden (tomato, squash, watermelons and green peppers) are only starting to get blooms. The one tomato plant that is producing is in a planter right by our porch so the only things that bother it are the barn cats and an occasional frog that wants to cool off in the wet soil.

Are they in pots or in the ground?

addiebee · Jun 25, 2010

Originally Posted by calico2222

I've heard that planting marigolds around your garden will keep the smaller critters out. Apparently they don't like the smell. I don't know if it is an old wives tale or not, but a neighbor on our road has a ton of marigolds around his and it is thriving! It won't keep out deer though...heck, they might eat them too!

So far the only thing we have a problem with is groundhogs, and they seem to prefer the brocolli (no, I didn't do the marigold thing this year). But then again, the plants in the garden (tomato, squash, watermelons and green peppers) are only starting to get blooms. The one tomato plant that is producing is in a planter right by our porch so the only things that bother it are the barn cats and an occasional frog that wants to cool off in the wet soil.

Are they in pots or in the ground?

They are in pots.

cheylink · Jun 25, 2010

Be careful using hot pepper sprays, they can burn your plants and/or alter the growth of your tomatoes. The best protection is to fence off the area. If you can't do this, I recommend Bobbex, this really works! The best deer and rabbit repellent I have used that is environmentally safe for almost 20 years! CHeck out the web site.......

calico2222 · Jun 26, 2010

Originally Posted by AddieBee

They are in pots.

This may be an extreme solution, but do you have a large dog crate you can put them in? A friend of mine did that with her potted veggie plants because she was having so much trouble with deer and that solved everything. The plants still got sun and watering was easy. All she had to do was open the door to harvest. It did require a bit of crawling around on hands and knees but it was worth it.

She got her's from a neighbor but I see a lot of them in the for sale portion of the classifieds here, or maybe check online for used ones.

addiebee · Jun 26, 2010

Thanks for the BOBBEX site. I am going to give that a try.

margecat · Jun 27, 2010

I blame mine on the resident groundhog, BruceAnn (yes, we named her and her 2 babies, Bubba-Joe and Charlene Mae!).

I bought the green plastic mesh that comes in a roll; it's in the fencing department at Home Depot. I wove Sturdy Stakes or bamboo garden stakes (at leat 5 ft. long ones() through the mesh to form a "fence", the wound it around the perimeter of the bed, then jammed the stakes into the ground. I hope you're taller then me (5ft.), as it's a bit awkward to bend over to tend to the veggies. You need a way to either open it or bend over it.

otto · Jun 27, 2010

Originally Posted by calico2222

This may be an extreme solution, but do you have a large dog crate you can put them in? A friend of mine did that with her potted veggie plants because she was having so much trouble with deer and that solved everything. The plants still got sun and watering was easy. All she had to do was open the door to harvest. It did require a bit of crawling around on hands and knees but it was worth it.

She got her's from a neighbor but I see a lot of them in the for sale portion of the classifieds here, or maybe check online for used ones.

Wow, what a great idea, thanks for posting it! I might try that next year, maybe I can grow beans and peas again!

Winchester · Jun 28, 2010

Originally Posted by otto

Wow, what a great idea, thanks for posting it! I might try that next year, maybe I can grow beans and peas again!

I think that's an awesome idea! And you're right about finding them fairly cheap at yard sales or the For Sale section of the newspaper. Great idea!

Gardeners on here - tomato help

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